Modern telecommunication systems include heterogeneous mixtures of second, third, and fourth generation (2G, 3G, and 4G) cellular-wireless access technologies, which are cross-compatible and operate collectively to provide broadband communication services to a majority of the population in the United States, as well as to populations abroad. Presently, there are a variety of different telecommunication access technologies that are standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a conglomeration of cooperating telecommunication standards organizations. Radio access technologies recognized by 3GPP are constantly evolving through newer generations of radio communications standards, which are sanctioned by respective 3GPP specification groups.
As would be understood by those skilled in the art, Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) is synonymous with 2G telecommunications technologies; Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) has become synonymous with 3G telecommunications technologies; and Long Term Evolution (LTE), including LTE Advanced, has become synonymous with 4G telecommunications technologies. UMTS is recognized in the industry as one or the largest, deployed access technologies, and it includes both Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) and High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA). Further, HSPA encompasses Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) and High-Speed Data Packet Access (HSDPA) technologies.
In UMTS, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol is associated with the W-CDMA protocol stack and it is generally configured to handle control plane signaling between User Equipment (UEs) and the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN includes combinations of NodeBs, which are UMTS base stations, and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), which control processes for a group of corresponding NodeBs. The RRC protocol is responsible for connection establishment and release, radio bearer establishment and release, power control, etc within the UTRAN. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) is newer air interface associated with LTE, which also includes an RRC layer within its protocol stack. The E-UTRAN includes combinations of Enhanced NodeBs (E-NodeBs), which are LTE base stations that can operate independent of a controlling entity having functionality similar to a UTRAN RNC.
The RRC protocol generally consists of an RRC idle mode, as well as multiple RRC connected modes, regardless of whether the RRC protocol is associated with the UTRA air interface of UMTS, or the E-UTRA air interface of LTE. By way of example, the RRC connected modes for UMTS include the following transport channel types: paging channels (PCHs), a forward access channel FACH, and a dedicated channel (DCH). Backward transitions between pairs of connected mode channel states can be triggered by RRC inactivity timers, whereas forward transitions between pairs of connected mode channel states can be triggered by a service provider designated transport channel data threshold, which when exceeded, affects a corresponding RRC connected mode channel state transition to a more robust connected mode channel for facilitating a corresponding data transfer.
Within the context of the backwards transitions between the different RRC connected mode channel states, a T1 timer expiration event can trigger a state transition from Cell_DCH to Cell_FACH, a T2 timer expiration event may trigger a state transition from Cell_FACH to Cell_PCH, and a T3 imer expiration event can trigger a state transition from Cell_PCH back to an Idle Mode. With respect to the forward RRC connected mode channel state transitions, access providers generally allocate how much data is allowed to be communicated for a corresponding RRC channel by designating a provider-specific data transfer threshold for automatically triggering an RRC state transition from Cell_FACH to Cell_DCH. It should be understood that there is generally only one RRC connection open to a UE at a time; meaning, that only one RRC connected mode channel (e.g., a PCH, a FACH, or a DCH) can be employed at a UE at any given instance during a corresponding data transfer session, or during corresponding data control signaling.
Further, high-speed downlink shared channels (HS-DSCHs) for most downlink data transfers may only be available to a UE during the Cell_DCH state, which consumes significantly more power than that of other RRC connected mode channel states, but advantageously provides much greater throughput over a corresponding DCH. In contrast, access provider communications with the UE generally take place in other RRC connected mode states, such as during Cell_FACH, Cell_PCH, or URA_PCH, states. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, data transfers over a FACH can be limited to relatively low data rate values, due to the RNC's inability to adaptively set or modify its transmission power, as well as its assigned modulation and coding scheme for FACH. These data rate limitations can result in lengthy call setup times as well as delayed RRC state transitions between the Cell_FACH and the Cell_DCH.
As such, it is generally well known that RRC connected mode transport channel state transitions are set by a corresponding telecommunication service provider without consideration for data-type sensitivity, dynamic network resource availability, or time-varying device resource availability. Accordingly, there is an opportunity for cellular access providers to improve upon existing RRC transport channel state transition processes, by considering how to better determine and affect RRC state transitions in real-time, to improve its customers' quality of experience (QoE), in accordance with their respective Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Additionally, there is also an opportunity for improving upon a cellular access provider's cumulative quality of service (QoS) by considering ways to reduce a number of redundant or unnecessary RRC transport channel state transitions.